Welcome to the maiden edition of the Recap on LamToro News. As stated earlier, this is a weekly column that summarizes the major activities of the security services sector in The Gambia every Friday.
In our today‘s edition we summarized for our readers, some major events that occured and activities embarked upon by various service units during the past week and this week.
GAMBIA POLICE FORCE
Series of events took place within the Gambia Police Force from last week to this week. These include, the retirement of some senior officers, promotion of police officers and reschuffle of some Police Commissioners and Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGs), donation to the police force, etc.
Retirement:
AIG Landing Bojang, the Crime Management Co-ordinator of the Gambia Police Force and Commissioner Lala Camara have both retired from the GPF effective 2nd May 2024. The two senior officers have served the police force for more than four decades.
AIG Landing Bojang had his contract extended two years when his retirement was due whilst Commissioner Lala Camara, the longest serving police officer so far had her contarct extended several times.
Promotion:
The Inspector General of Police Seedy M. Touray has promoted more than 900 police officers. The promotion was announced on 7th May at the police headquarters in Banjul. Several police officers from the ranks of Corporal to Cadet ASP were promoted. The total number of Cadet ASPs promoted this time was fourteen.
Reschuffle:
Following the retirement of AIG Landing Bojang and Commissioner Lala Camara, a major reschuffle hit the Gambia Police Force. AIG Demba Sowe was redeployed to serve as Crime Management Co-ordinator of GPF, AIG Ebrima Bah was redeployed as AIG Admin, Commissioner Pateh S.H Jallow was promoted as acting AIG Operations. Several other internal reschuffle were also effected as reported by LamToro News earlier.
Donation:
On May 10, 2024, the Gambia Police Force received equipment and items valued at more than 35 million dalasis, donated by the German Police Support Team (GPST) in a ceremony at the Police Intervention Unit headquarters in Kanifing.
Visit of the KAIPTC Commandant:
Major General Richard Addo Gyane, Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Accra, Ghana, on 13th May 2024 paid a courtesy call on the Inspector General of Police Seedy M. Touray at the Police Headquarters in Banjul.
Major General Gyane and delegation are in The Gambia to organise in collaboration with the Gambia Police Force, a two-week training course on Child Protection for forty-three participants – GPF, GID, GPS, SIS, and DLEAG- at the Paradise Suites Hotel.
GAMBIA ARMED FORCES
Just like the police, the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) was also engaged in a series official activities, including promotion, nationwide tour and courtesy calls.
Nationwide Tour of the CDS:
The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) Lieutenant General Mamat O. Cham on Monday 13th May 2024, began his annual nationwide tour of military installations across the country.
Accompanied by the Minister of Defence Serign Modou Njie and senior officers of the GAF, Lieutenant General Mamat O. Cham inspected a colourful Quarter Guard of The Gambia Navy at the Banjul Ferry terminal.
The 2024 CDS tour which is the first time since his appointment as the country’s army chief is aimed at enabling the CDS to have a direct interface with personnel of the GAF with a view to know the living and working conditions of soldiers under his command with the desire of addressing them.
During the tour, the CDS will also have the opportunity to meet with regional governors, traditional rulers and community members as well as members of the different security services.
Promotion:
The President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Gambia Armed Forces, HE Adama Barrow, acting on the Powers vested on him by the Constitution and in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS) in the Gambia Armed Forces on Tuesday 7th May 2024 presided over the decoration ceremony of 10 Senior Officers who were recently promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Armed Forces. They were conferred with their new ranks in a colorful ceremony that was held at the State House Cabinet Conference room in Banjul. The newly promoted Officers were recently elevated from the rank of Lieutenant Colonel to substantive Colonel.
The Senior Officers decorated, some in absentia, were Lieutenant Colonel Yerro NA Jallow – Director of Operations, Lieutenant Colonel Doctor Musa Kah -Director of GAF Medical Services, Lieutenant Colonel Omar B. Bojang – Deputy National Security Adviser to the President, Lieutenant Colonel Seedy Joof – Program Officer, Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, Nigeria.
The other officers are Lieutenant Colonel Musa M Jammeh (in absentia) – Director of Finance and Budget, Lieutenant Colonel Bunja E Darboe (in absentia) – Director of Procurement, Lieutenant Colonel Ousman Bah – Staff Officer Defense Headquarters, Lieutenant Colonel Abdoulie Bah – Commanding Officer, 1 Infantry Battalion, Yundum Barracks, Lieutenant Colonel Lamin K. Sanyang – Military Adviser to the Chief of Defence Staff/ Director of Press and Public Relations GAF and Lieutenant Colonel Abdoulie Mboob – Commanding Officer, State Guards Battalion.
Courtesy Call by Canadian Military Officer:
Captain Trevor Ackland, a Canadian officer working as a media officer for the 2024 OBANGAME EXPRESS EXERCISE paid a courtesy call on the Director of Press and Public Relations (DPPR) The Gambia Armed Forces Colonel Lamin K. Sanyang on 10th May 2024.
The 2024 OBANGAME EXPRESS EXERCISE training is an annual combined Central and West African exercise in the Gulf of Guinea in a regional partnership with the United States and Euro-Atlantic navies on increased regional cooperation and interoperability to enhance maritime safety and security.
DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OF THE GAMBIA (DLEAG)
Nigerian arrested with 130 Pellets of suspected Cocaine:
Operatives of Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia (DLEAG) stationed at Banjul International Airport (BIA) intercepted a Nigerian National attempting to smuggle one hundred and thirty (130) pellets of suspected cocaine.
Using behavioral indicator tactics, operatives noticed that the suspect could be a mule who may be carrying suspected prohibited drugs. He was then invited for questioning, and he later confessed to have swallowed pellets of cocaine in Guinea Bissau before traveling by land straight to the Airport. He was thereafter placed on observation and during the course of the investigative process, he defecated a cumulative total of one hundred and thirty (130) pellets of suspected cocaine.
The suspect who was later identified as Joseph Sunday Nweze is a 46 years old Nigerian National residing in Spain. He initially excreted thirty-five (35) pellets. Later on, he sequentially excreted another thirty-five (35) pellets, twenty-nine (29) pellets, seventeen (17) pellets, eight pellets, and six (6) pellets respectively.
The said incident happened on Thursday, 2nd May 2024 during routing checking for Royal Air Moroc Flight to Casablanca, Morocco.
National Assembly Select Committee on Defense and Security visits DLEAG:
The Management of DLEAG received Honorable Members of the National Assembly Select Committee on Defense and Security at the Agency’s Headquarters at Pipeline, Kanifing Municipality.
The visit according to the Honorable Members is in line with their oversight functions over various Armed and Security Services in the country. Similarly, it provides them the opportunity to directly interact with various institutions in order to have firsthand knowledge about their modus operandi, achievements and challenges.
The Director General of the Agency Alhaji Bakary Gassama updated them about the functions and mandate of the Agency. He also dwelt on some of the key achievements of the Agency as well as challenges hindering the Agency’s operational capability.
Management used the opportunity to provide an exclusive visit to the Agency’s exhibits stores particularly the places where landmark cocaine seizures are stored.
Source: Information was culled from GPF, DLEAG and GAF.
